DAYCARE AND SLEEP TRAINING — MyBaby Sleepology

IS SLEEP TRAINING WHEN YOUR CHILD ATTENDS DAYCARE, POSSIBLE?

People always wonder if their baby or toddler can be sleep trained if they attend daycare. The answer is YES! Oftentimes daycares are willing to adjust certain things and work with parents who decide to sleep train their little one (after all, sleep training is becoming more and more common!).

HERE ARE 6 THINGS YOU WILL WANT TO ASK YOUR DAYCARE TO IMPLEMENT:

1. Attach a sound machine to little one’s crib or near their cot (to replicate similar environment as home and drown out the surrounding noises)

2. Send baby/toddler with duplicate comfort items that you have at home such as a breathable lovey/sleep sack

3. Ask them to NOT rock your baby/toddler to sleep or allow him to fall asleep in a swing

4. Ask that they put your little one in the crib for naps only, not for any playtime

5. See if your little one’s crib or cot can be moved to a back corner where it might be darker/quieter

6. Print out a sleep log for them to fill out so that you know when to adjust with an earlier or later bedtime

If naps at daycare are off for the day it will not impact night sleep as long as you can adjust bedtime earlier when naps do not meet their goal (1 hour minimum for naps 1 & 2 if on 2-3 naps and 90 minutes minimum if on 1 nap). For the first several weeks, be prepared for a quick pick-up and head straight home for dinner and early bedtime. This will be temporary until your little one is sleeping better!

And babies are smart! They understand that different rules apply at home vs. daycare. So when your little one is home on weekends, be sure to apply “crib hour” to naps if on 2-3 naps and the “crib 90” if on 1 nap.

“What about the drive home from daycare? My baby always falls asleep!”

Do what you can to keep your baby/toddler awake on the ride home from daycare (try opening a window or playing music). If he falls asleep, don’t stress! While it isn’t ideal, simply bump bedtime out just a smidge (15/20 minutes) if he caught a quick cat nap on the ride home.

If you are thinking about starting sleep training, try to do so over a long weekend. If that is not an option, start Friday evening to give your little one a couple days of naps at home prior to returning back to daycare.

Sleep training in two different environments may take a little longer for things to come together, but as long as you are consistent at home and daycare adjusts a few things, it will work and eventually your child will be on his way to better naps and night sleep!